Historic Schoolhouse-Turned-Hotel Goes Up for Sale for $31 Million—This Time as a Stunning Family Home

A historic former schoolhouse-turned-luxury boutique hotel is preparing to undergo yet another dramatic transformation after being put up for sale for $31 million—this time as a private family home.

Located in Park City, UT, the 12-bedroom, 13.5-bathroom Washington School House has been operating as a hotel for the past 15 years, after its most recent owners decided that such a “stunning gem” deserved to be shared with the public.

Tom and Marcy Holthus had originally intended on using the property, which was built in 1889, as a private residence when they purchased it in 2009. They soon pivoted their plans and set about turning the stunning building into a business.

The hotel was the latest in a long list of enterprises to occupy the property, which is co-listed by Gretchen Hudgens and Lacy Harrison of Hudgens and Harrison and Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International.

“Through the 1940s and 1950s, it was a dance hall,” Hudgens explains. “In the 1980s, it was purchased by the previous owner who turned it into what we’d call a quaint Airbnb.”

Operation: Transformation

In 2012, the current owners, who also own a hotel in France’s Loire Valley, “stripped it to the studs.” Their plan was to transform the former schoolhouse into a 12-room hotel.

“They curated each room with artifacts and furnishings from all over the world,” Harrison says. The many one-of-a-kind items included a gold gilded mirror from an opera house in France that hangs over the fireplace in the family room.

Decorated with vintage and modern paintings, a custom chandelier dipped in white lacquer and layered with Swarovski crystals, and a 19th-century French wine table, the property is being delivered mostly furnished.

All 12 bedrooms are en suite within the 11,763-square-foot space. The lot, measuring a third of an acre, includes an eye-catching fire pit fashioned out of a steel Olympic torch from the 2002 Winter Olympics, which was hosted in Salt Lake City. There’s also a heated outdoor pool and spa.

Hotel or hotel-like home

The buyer of this splendid spot can either retain it as a hotel—living in the top floor’s penthouse suite—or convert it into a single-family home.

As for the sellers, “They’re in a space and time in life where things are shifting. Their kids have grown and left the house,” Harrison says. “They’re willing to pass it on to another generation.”

And the sale is poised to be quite a big deal. According to Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International, if the sale closes at $31 million, this will be the second-largest residential sale in the Park City area in recent years.

Not just for skiers

Located a block from Main Street, and with 11 parking spots currently used for guests, the property offers a rare proximity to shops, restaurants, and the slopes. The Quit’n Time ski run on Park City Mountain is only 150 feet away.

However, the area has a draw beyond winter sports.

“There’s a lot of buzz and excitement in and around the Park City market. People are seeing it’s not just a winter destination and a wonderful place to call home,” says Hudgens. “We’re really poised to handle a different type of crowd.

“It’s an hour and 15 minutes to Los Angeles, and three and a half hours to New York,” Hudgens adds. “Being on Mountain Standard Time, it’s very easy to operate (across time zones). Our school districts are among the best in the country.”